Cameras

For those of you who care, my new camera is a Fuji Finepix S2000HD. This is how I bought it: Robert and I went to Best Buy looking for a completely different camera, then Robert saw this one and said, "I kind of like this one," and so I bought it. I don't really know anything technical about cameras, but I'm happy with the picture quality. The colors look rich, especially outside in natural light.

Saturday Russ came over with "something for us to do," which turned out to be making a pinhole camera. I don't even know how long it took us to make that camera—probably about eight hours. It was a little complicated, and we had a LITTLE beer. Then we walked to the lake to take pictures, and I took some with my new camera.

Moving

My mom and Robert flew me down last weekend so I could help them move into their new mountainside home in Black Mountain. Amy and Cheri were kind to loan their muscles too, and Miss Bobbie showed up on Sunday to clunk our heads together like coconuts and whip us into shape. It went pretty smoothly. I only fell down the stairs once.

The house is beautiful. I kept saying I can't wait to live there. Peewee and I will love sitting near the fireplace and in the window seat and on the screened-in porch. And definitely not peeing on rugs.

On the plane from Detroit back to Chicago I sat next to this English guy. We talked for a bit and I understood about 50% of it. (I don't know how I keep meeting people on planes. I am NOT a plane talker.) He was really nice, but sort of goofy and smelly, which I hope was because he had been traveling all day. It was his first trip to the US, visiting family in Kalamazoo. Then when we were leaving the plane he said, "Are you on Facebook?" I said I sure am, English guy. So he gave me his name and now we're Facebook friends, which I'm sure means we'll K.I.T. forever. We walked through the airport together and he showed me a picture of him and his baby, and said the baby mama has only let him see the baby twice, and that she's crazy. I was like, whoa, TMI, new EBFF. Then we parted ways. He sent me a message a couple days ago and said he's going to be in Chicago before he goes back to England, and would I be able to meet up? I said I can't, but I really just hate going into the city on week nights, and didn't feel like being killed this week.

Cheri pretty much single handedly moved them.

My mom gave Miss Bobbie colanders for her birthday because she still had her 1970s Harvest Gold colanders.

Harvey's exhausted from all the moving.

Early voting

Vlogging

Fall in Evanston

My friend Val came to visit on Saturday with her boss and boss's husband, who went to the MSU/Northwestern game. Val stayed with me. I've been sick, so I wasn't much fun. Except for my sick voice, which sounds like Dina Lohan, so that's fun. Saturday we went shopping with Russ and I found most of my Halloween costume (Bret Michaels, circa Rock of Love). Saturday night Val and I went out to dinner, then we were in bed before 10:30. It was pretty nice.

It was in the 80s this weekend. People were swimming in the lake. I went for a walk yesterday and found some color.

October on Tee Lake

I went up north this past weekend for my grandma's birthday, because I wanted to be the favorite. I also wanted to see up north in the fall. The maples are turning, coming out of the wood's work, and the sunflowers are bowing their heads. It was good to be back in the woods—I feel like I need to wean myself off. I still miss it, especially the big sky at night. (I've been "reading" Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek for, ohhhh, about six months now, and I finally get it. I still think it's totally boring—pages and pages on the intricacies of frog carcases and pond algae—but I get it now. It's about seeing. I like the book, but because I want to LIVE it, not READ it.)

Friday I took Grandma to the Rustic Inn for her birthday dinner. I suggested she do 75 shots after dinner, but I think she was too full. Then we went home and played Pictionary and did the crossword.

Saturday the Dan Sheltons drove up from Royal Oak. To kill time before they arrived Grandma and I shot her BB gun. Since becoming a markswoman, I've been focusing most of my energy on thinking about shooting. I wanted to shoot my grandma's old-timey rifle at the sand pit off Meridian Line Road, but no one wanted to go with me. I really need my own gun. Dear Mommie Dearest, consider that my Christmas list. I've heard a shotgun is best for self-defense. Do y'all have Wal-Marts down there?















On the way back I stopped at a "scenic overlook" off 196.